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Friday, July 31, 2009

There isn’t much to a Die Hard film. It’s actually quite simple in hindsight. Namely, the main components being cussing, violence, the obligatory stupidly, stubborn character, and of course, the real hero that goes it alone in the fight against evil. However, the difference between a Die Hard movie and any other action movie is that…the Die Hard franchise does it extremely well.

The first Die Hard is a classic, and there’s usually two ways a sequel can go when following such a movie. Either it improves on the flaws of the original, thus making a better installment, or it’s a half-hearted attempt screwed up by some change in the production (whether it be different writers, directors, cast, etc.). Die Hard 2 is somewhere in the middle.

Die Hard 2 takes place in an airport located in Washington D.C. Terrorists have taken over all communications making it impossible for the control tower to relay instructions to the planes flying above. Their goal is to procure the release of a political prisoner by any means necessary. The storyline reminds me of the first Die Hard where Hans Gruber gives the LAPD false demands which also dealt with the release of political prisoners. Is this a nod to the original? Either way, the threat is conveyed rather effectively given that the planes forced to circle above have only a limited amount of fuel to stay airborne. The threat is made even more real when the viewers discover that John McClane’s wife and mother-in-law are aboard one of the endangered planes.

Bruce Willis returns to his iconic role as Officer John McClane, basically a man who can't tolerate stupidity and does whatever he believes is needed to get the job done and done right. This ideal leads to a multitude of clashes with the captain of the airport police force. As I mentioned before, there’s usually one idiotic character in a movie like this. Voila! The army also makes an appearance later on as the situation escalates. Anyway, enough plot summary.

Die Hard 2 doesn’t live up to its predecessor. It still has merit as a more than decent action flick. This just doesn’t have the same feeling of claustrophobia or urgency as the first film managed. The villain, played by William Sadler, isn’t nearly as fun as Alan Rickman’s character in Die Hard. Although, I’m not being entirely fair as Rickman is a very hard actor to match in terms of diabolical “evilness.”

Willis is excellent, as usual, playing McClane. He’s human, vulnerable, but manages to take on however many henchmen needed to save the day. Another aspect of the Die Hard films that I’ve appreciated is the fact that he can bleed. He’s not invincible and he comes out of heavy fights with injuries and ignores the pain to get what he needs accomplished. This wasn’t nearly as prevalent. Countless sprays of bullets were aimed at McClane and not one hits him? Yes, he doesn’t come out of the ordeal without a scratch, but it’s not as neatly done. He has blood streaming from somewhere, and I’m left to guess how it happened. Was it in an explosion? Was it the gunfights? Fisticuffs? It’s this amount of detail that I miss, but overall this is simply a fan’s quibbles.

The continuity in the second movie is a nice touch. It’s not merely another installment that just happens to have the same characters in a new situation, but acknowledges the events of the first film and the consequences stemming from it. This intrigues and also adds comedic moments between McClane and a certain female reporter. A few other past characters make an appearance such as Officer Powell and Richard Thornburg (the reporter from the previous movie). This leads to excellent scenes and comic relief.

In the grand scheme of it all, Die Hard 2 is still an excellent movie with fine special effects and intense action. Is it as good as the original? In my humble opinion, it’s not quite up there. That shouldn’t stop anyone from watching this spectacle though. With twists and turns along the road, clever dialogue, and lots of things that go boom, Die Hard 2 is still one of the better action movies out there.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

An Echo in the Bone ( Outlander Book 7) by, Diana GabaldonRelease Date September 22,2009Summary-Jamie Fraser, erstwhile Jacobite and reluctant rebel, knows three things about the American rebellion: the Americans will win, unlikely as that seems in 1778; being on the winning side is no guarantee of survival; and he'd rather die than face his illegitimate son - a young lieutenant in the British Army - across the barrel of a gun. Fraser's time-travelling wife, Claire, also knows a couple of things: that the Americans will win, but that the ultimate price of victory is a mystery. What she does believe is that the price won't include Jamie's life or happiness - not if she has anything to say.

Claire's grown daughter Brianna, and her husband, Roger, watch the unfolding of Brianna's parents' history - a past that may be sneaking up behind their own family.

WoW is hosted by Jill - head over there to see what other bloggers are looking forward to this week.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading and it asks us to...

Grab your current readOpen to a random pageShare two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that pageBE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

I've decided to do three different genres this week mystery-christian fiction-young adult:

The 8th Confession by, James Patterson- page 99-When Cindy left Neil Pincus,she was irritated and just as determined as before.The lawyer had called her girl.Like she was one of his kids.He'd underestimated her tenacity,and he didn't get that she was a working journalist who covered crime. She was careful.She was experienced.She was a pro. And what she hated the most ? He'd gotten to her.

The Edge of Light by, Ann Shorey-pg 166-"Nothing I do lines up with the way his late wife did things.You'd think I was ten years old, the way he acts." She sighed.She'd been concerned about protecting her virtue once under Mr. Pitt's roof and instead found herself sharing a house with a man fixated on turning her into a duplicate of his dead wife.No matter what I prepare for,life sends me something else.

Hunger by, Michael Grant-pg.258-Zil rounded Edilio."You going to make Hunter give up his weapon?Huh?He's got powers,man,and that okay,but the normals can't have weapons?How are we supposed to defend ourselves from the freaks?"

Sunday, July 26, 2009

What is it that fascinates readers when it comes to Sherlock Holmes? It's been to the point where some don't even realize he was a fictional character. Others have formed groups in his honor--The Baker Street Irregulars, Sherlockians, the list goes on. Why have other authors attempted the character, written biographies, or debated for years whether he attended Cambridge or Oxford? The answers are many, varied and changes from fan to fan. Personally, I harbor an admiration for his quick wit, intelligence, and superb deductive abilities. The character is also a mystery. The author never dwells on Holmes the character, but rather his methods, successes, and more rarely, his failures. The majority of the stories are written behind Watson's eyes which I find welcoming. Watson is as amazed, astonished, disgusted, or mystified as we are by his companion. To tie in with my recent Sherlock Holmes "spree", the following contains short reviews concerning three of the fifty-six short stories penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

"A Scandal in Bohemia"This is the first of the "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." We are also introduced to whom Holmes will always refer to as "the woman"--Irene Adler. Adler is the only woman Holmes has ever shown interst in. She is one of the few who can match his ingenuity. This remains one of my personal favorites because of the sharp dialogue that it seems only Doyle can provide. Smugness is suddenly an attractive quality in a character to say the least. The plot has a few twists and turns and is overall, an very entertaining read. By the end, I wasn't sure if I was pleased the most with the apparent victor of the match between Holmes and Adler or the opposite--both being intriguing. Another quality of the Holmes collection is that reading them in order is not required. With the exception of a few, they can be read in any order. However, I would recommend the reading of a few of the short stories or at least "A Study in Scarlet" before this as it would familiarize the characters which greatens the impact of this particular one. I award "A Scandal in Bohemia" 4 stars. ****

"The Red-Headed League"There a quite a variety of short stories concerning Holmes. Many, of course, deal with crime (from murder to thievery), some with misunderstanding, and others are quite comical. The following is a combination. Without spoiling too much, as the title suggests, Holmes client features a fiery red head in quite a confounding position. While I didn't particularly enjoy this entry, it's unique and quite unorthodox. It also helps that it isn't lengthy since the plot isn't complex. The most interesting portion of the story is the explanation of the queer events. I award "The Red-Headed League" 3 stars. ***

"A Case of Identity"It's always a treat when Doyle allows the reader insight into Holmes' thoughts and beliefs. This is how "A Case of Identity" is introduced, a debate between Watson and Holmes about what is normal, extraordinary, interesting, and its involvement with society. There seems to be a misconception about Watson's intelligence. The general view is that Watson isn't the sharpest man. I disagree. After all, he is a physician and secondly, anyone would pale in comparison to Holmes. But, I suppose that's besides the point. I find this to be a case in which Holmes would refer to as having "features of interest." It's quite short, but the overall plot doesn't suffer from it. Another one of my favorites due to its strange (but almost expected) twist and excellent writing, I award "A Case of Identity" 4 stars. ****

Friday, July 24, 2009

This book was defiantly an interesting one. I don't really know what to say about it. The story was very... odd. It was one of those books you just want to be over. The few good things about this book are that I never knew what was going to happen next and it was a fantasy book (which is one of my favorite types of book). Over all I give this book a three out of five stars.

Rules:* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.* Turn to page 56.* Find the fifth sentence.* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.*Post a link along with your post back to this blog and to Storytime with Tonya and Friends at http://storytimewithtonya.blogspot.com/* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

"Yet here she was,scepter in hand,following a path between the palace and the outer wall that separated the grounds from the rest of Wonderopolis."Seeing Redd by, Frank Beddor

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss's true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry, love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Jack and Schuyler are over. Oliver's brokenhearted. And only the cunning Mimi seems to be happily engaged.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Grab your current read.• Let the book fall open to a random page.• Share with us two "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from. That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!• Please avoid spoilers!

Still Alice by, Lisa Genova-pg.129-"I don't remember much." There it was,her Alzheimer's,stripped and naked under fluorescent lighting,on display for Sarah Something to scrutinize and judge.

How to Ditch Your Fairy by, Justine Larbalester-pg.188-"What's your Fairy?" I asked."Jukebox". "What's a jukebox fairy?" I asked,wondering what a jukebox was."Wherever I go the music playing is always something I like. I never hear music I hate."

Wow I just realized that we have posted 100 posts on this blog!I would like to Thank NRPLTAB for their great reviews you all make my job fun!!And thank-you Sara S. for helping me hang my NEH Picturing America Pictures!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

• Grab your current read.• Let the book fall open to a random page.• Share with us two "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from. That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!• Please avoid spoilers!

Fatally Flaky by, Diane Mott Davidson-page 151-Julian popped into the kitchen through the back door."Fire's ready.Oh man, you should see Billie.That Dress does not fit her.She looks like a whale inside a white girdle thats ,like,two sizes too small."

Summerland by, Michale Chabon-page 208-"That does it," snapped Padfoot.he grabbed Mr.Feld by the back of his collar and dragged him to his feet,dangling him by means of one powerful brutish arm,so that Mr.Felds toes barely grazed the floor."mr.Bruce feld,prepare to lose yourself the remainder of your marbles."

The Scarecrow by, Michael Connelly-page 187-"Jack, you can't write it and you know it.You are the story.I need to get you with Larry so he can interview you and then write the story.The switchboard's taken more than thirty messages from reporters wanting to interview you,including the New York Times,Katie Couric, even Craig Ferguson from the Late Late Show.""Ferguson's not a reporter."

Monday, July 13, 2009

In World War 2, a plane crashes on a remote island, stranding a group young boys. The boys have fun for a time, but soon things break apart. Rules become a thing of the past, the signal fire is all but forgotten, and savagery becomes the new way of life. Hunting is all that is important to most of the boys, and those who don't agree are excluded and left to die. That is until they become a "threat" to the new way of life the boys have found on the island...

I thought that the idea of being stranded on an island and living a young boy's fantasy of growing up in the wild with no adults or rules was nice, but only as an idea. This novel seemed a little longwinded even though it is a very short book, and it seemed a little random at times. One minute the boys are prancing around having fun and the next they might be in an argument over how important hunting really was to their survival. No offense to anyone who liked "The Great Gatsby", but that is the only comparison I have as far as books that I have a great dislike for...

First off, this book was very predictable. It's your average murder mystery, so there were no real surprises.Juliana Martin-Drake is not happy about moving to England with her mother and twin siblings. But her mother wants some "time off" from her marriage and goes back to her homeland of jolly old England to work on her paintings. Juliana meets a boy who we can obviously predict she falls in love with and tries to investigate the murder of her mother's close friend Liza Pethering. Juliana, who is adopted, rediscovers her forgotten memories of childhood and uses them to solve the mystery. Everything wraps up nicely, if a bit boringly, but it was still a good ending.This was a rather good book, even with all the predictableness, so it will be getting: 3 stars ***

I also heard they are doing a movie to the Percy Jackson Series andThe Guardians of Ga'houle.And a TV Show on the CW from the Vampire Diaries by,LJ Smith those books have been ordered and should be here next week!The movie I'm most looking forward to is Harry Potter and second would be Where the Wild Things Are!

Friday, July 10, 2009

This book is about Rosie Sinclair. Her grandfather was just put in prison for six months after a thirty year career of a not so legal nature.While he is in prison Rosie gets to take care of his black Mercedes.The Problem: After Rosie gets the car and a cell phone of her grandfather's she starts receiving threatening phone calls from "Mr. Underworld." Other characters: Glenda her best friend who also happens to be an exotic dancer, Todd a nice sporty boy who she kinda likes, and bad boy Chris who turns her world upside down.Summary: After getting the car and phone Rosie gets calls threatening her grandfather if she doesn't return the ring.She also finds out that her grandpa also uses the Mercedes to taxi some elderly people around town. Now with the help of Glenda, Todd, and Chris Rosie fights to keep her grandfather safe.Will she be successful? Find out in Black Taxi. I really liked how this author keeps you guessing.He has you thinking it's this person then suddenly he proves you wrong.This was a great book so i gave it 4 stars. (****)

Singing the Dogstar Blues is set in futuristic times when spaceships and time travel are the norm. Joss Aaronson is the daughter of a famous news reporter and an unknown sperm donor. She loves music, and she's a student at the Centre for Neo-Historical Studies. When the Chorians, a race of aliens from the Sirius-B star, request that one of their young ones come and study time-travel at the University, Joss agrees to be its partner. Joss finds out that her partner, Mavkel, lost his birth-pair in a terrible accident and is getting sick because of it. The only way to save Mavkel's life is to pair with it, or join their minds. To do that, Joss has to find her mysterious father because to join she has to know her bloodlines. The only way to find her father is to jump back in time, which is forbidden for first year students....This is a short novel that's a mix of science fiction, mystery, and adventure. It's suspensful and makes you want to turn to the last page to see what happens. I thought this was a great book, so I gave it 4 stars!!!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!Please avoid spoilers!

Take Two by, Karen Kingsbury-The Doctor isn't sure."There were tears in her mom's voice."can you please come?"

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by, Maggie O'Farrell -Esme stares.The scene seems to tremble and break apart.She has the sensation of being pulled strongly towards it,as if drawn by a magnet.

Waiting for Normal by, Leslie Connor-Mommers was always getting ideas.Big ideas.She always dove right in,too,like she was in a hurry,like a person trying to catch up.

Monday, July 6, 2009

This was a good book! i thought at least! i saw the movie long before i read the book but the book was so much better! It's about this boy who's tryin to save these little owls from having there burrows crushed for a new pancake house. Along with him his step sister and a kid nick-named Tex, who just moved from Montana to Florida, have to out smart an old guy watchin over the site till the construction starts! It's a good book but it has some bad launguage. i wouldn't recommend it for younger kids. I give it 3 stars.

These are just some books I've read in the past month or two that I thought I'd write a short review on.Body of Christopher Creed, The by Carol Plum-Ucci,This is a hard book to review without giving away the major plot points.Suffice it to say(if you read the book you'll understand that) anyone who lives in small town should read this book!We all know about bullying and outcasts especially in high schol but as you get older you realize its not just high school there are adult bullies and outcasts too.And in a a small town everyone has a secret.I found this book engaging and see why it won so many honor awards.I would venture to say that everyone should read this book!4****

Thirteenth Child (Frontier Magic Book) by Patricia Wrede,I did enjoy this book its the first in a series and I am hoping the next 2 books will have a little more meat to it now that we know the characters.This one was definatly introducing the characters and with some excitement at the end.Ms.Wrede is a good writer and I have enjoyed her other books so I know this series will be good overall.I also have some theorioes about certain characters that I will be curious to find out if I am right about.4****

Anansi Boys: A Novel by Neil GaimanAh Neil you did it again..I just love anything this man writes!!And this one was no exception!I won't go into the whole story ,but the characters in this book had me laughing.There wasn't any flat characters at all they were all so fleshed out so you cared what happened to each and everyone of them including the bad guy!Loved it!5*****

In the Company of Ogres by A. Lee MartinezThis was a hilarious book..If you like Terry Pratchett or Terry Brooks Andover Try this book!Never Dead Ned is a great character though his name sounds like he can't die its more lke he can't stay dead he dies all the time..When he ends up in charge of Ogre Company his life as it is will change forever I can't say more you have to read this book!!4 1/2 ****

Waiting for Normal by,Leslie ConnorThis is a great book I see why it won awards!Addie is a young girl hoping for a normal life,but with a a mother (mommers) who is an all or nothing type of person normal isn't likely to happen.This book shows that heroes are everyday people who care about each other.The characters in this book are compelling and real.Addie is the true hero in this book though through it all she keeps a positive attitude even when left alone for days on end.I highly recommend this book!!!!5*****

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la CruzThe concept of this book is very interesting the Blue Bloods came over on the Mayflower they are "immortal"but in a new way they live to 100 then are reborn then in their teens they aquire all their past memories.This was a quick read I guess all the brand names were a bit much they took up too much of the book.I will finish reading this series and am hoping it gets better.It definatly didn't live up to all the hype so far.3 1/2 ***

Masquerade by Melissa de la CruzWell I certainly liked this book better than the first..it does grab you and keep you interested especially the last 100 pages I couldn't put it down.That being said I wish there was more character develpoment and less fashionista.I am wondering if anything is going to redeem Mimi she is the most awful person and I guess I like an anti-hero I can root for at least somewhat.I will finish this series off as it left you hanging so much that a person almost has to.My advice though would be to make sure you have ALL the books before you begin they are a quck read with major cliffhangers.4****

Revelations by Melissa de la CruzI really like this book but I thought it was the last in the series but I guess not.So now have to wait till Oct.09 for the next one.I do like the whole concept of this series its so interesting.I do feel that there were major holes in the story like when Bliss leaves Allegra and she was screaming and then never went back to her at all,I thought Schyler visited her mom every sunday?So what happened there?It was never explained so am hoping it will be in the next book!All in all a pretty good series.4****

These are just some books I've read in the past month or two that I thought I'd write a short review on.Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson,I enjoyed this interesting romance..The concept was fun Jane had an imaginary friend ,Michael,when she was little to help her cope with her overbearing mother.,When Jane is in her 30's she meets up the real Michael and they fall in love.One thing about this book is you have to suspend some belief and don't look to hard at the schematics of the whole situation.Such as why do other people see Michael now?But I disagree with people who have said this was a bit a fluff yes it was a light read but a good book none the less I would recommend this book to anyone! 4****

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline,This was a different book than Lisa usually writes its not about lawyers.Its a very good book action all the way through.I won't go into the whole story see it above.It was a book I couldn't put down, the story is so engaging its sucks you in from page one and doesn't let up till the end!The twist and turns it takes keep you on the edge of your seat.Well written as,you've come to expect from Lisa Scottoline. 4 1/2****

Miss Julia Hits The Road by, Ann RossThis was my first Miss Julia book I did find it cute and loved all the Biker stuff because I am one.Love her southern humorthough I was expecting a mystery it was a cute book. 3 1/2***

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd,This was an interesting story, of midlife crises of possible mental illness,and of secrets and truths. I did find it a little slow at times but it was still a good story,with characters you can care about even with their flaws. Although some people think of this book as just a sad tale of a woman who has an affair I felt it was so much more than that and that the affair was all part of Jessie journey. What would you do if you get a phone call telling you your mother has chopped off a finger and that she did it on purpose?Especially after being estranged from her after your father dies when you feel to blame for it. The truth of her fathers death is at the heart of this book ,and I won't give any spoilers. Suffice it to say Jessie's journey takes some twists and turns for her to make her way back “home” to herself. 3 1/2 ***